Unit 1: Research on Integration of Movement

Learning Objectives

Read research on the benefits of integration of movement into the classroom
Complete a KWL Chart on what they Know about integrating movement into learning, what they Want to learn about the integration of movement, and what the Learned about the integration of movement into learning
Complete a 3-2-1 activity at the end of the reflect on their learning
Complete a quiz to assess their learning

Before Beginning the Unit

Complete the KWL chart found here to keep track of what you Know, Want to learn, and Learned by the end of this unit.

Physical Activity in Schools

According to the CDC, "less than one-quarter (24%) of children 6 to 17 years of age participate in 60 minutes of physical activity every day." As there are many problems that arise from physical inactivity in children, there is a lot of overlap between physical activity and academic achievement. It has been noted that students who are physically active tend to have better grades, school attendance, cognitive performance (e.g., memory), and classroom behaviors" (CDC, 2022)
"The rate of increase in body mass index (BMI) in children 2-19 years of age nearly doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to pre-pandemic rates" (ACSM).
"Increasing physical activity in schools through daily recess, physically active classroom lessons, longer or more frequent physical education classes and before- and after-school activities helps children reach physical activity guidelines and build the foundation of a healthy lifestyle into adulthood."

💭 What was the most interesting piece of information that stood out to you?

What the Research Says

Before reading the article by Benes, Finn, Sullivan, and Zi Yan (2016), consider the following questions:

What do you think are the benefits of using movement in the classroom?
What do you think are the barriers and/or challenges of using movement in the classroom?
Do you think that teachers should integrate movement into the classroom? Why or why not?

🤔 After reading the article, have your thoughts on integration of movement into the classroom changed? Does your school provide any professional developments on how to incorporate movement into learning? How do the other educators at your school view movement and physical activity in a learning setting?

✍️ You can jot down your notes and reflections here!

✅ As you move along this Unit, remember to continue adding ideas to your KWL chart

Teaching and Learning Through Movement

Watch the Ted Talk given by Michael Kuczala who is the coauthor of the book "The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning through Movement" and outlined the six ways of using movement purposely in any learning situation.

After watching the Ted Talk, consider the following questions 🤔:

What does Kuczala mean when he talks about the "brain body connection?"
Which step of Kuczala's framework do you think would be the most beneficial for the students you work with?
What are some of the benefits mentioned when it comes to integrating movement into learning?

✍️ You can jot down your notes and reflections here!

✅ As you move along this Unit, remember to continue adding ideas to your KWL chart

Reflection Activity 3-2-1

Jot down 3️⃣ things you learned and are taking away with you from this unit.

Jot down 2️⃣ things you found interesting from this unit.

Jot down 1️⃣ question you still have.

📝 Complete this quick quiz to assess your learning!

➡️ After completing all of the learning activities, move onto Unit 2

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